The possibility is there- Usain Bolt discusses chances of Noah Lyles breaking his 200m world record
The world's fastest man Usain Bolt has opened up on the possibility of Noah Lyles breaking the 200m world record this season.
The world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, has for the first time opened up about the possibility of three-time World champion Noah Lyles breaking his 200m world record.
Bolt set the 200m world record of 19.19 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany where he also set the 100m world record of 9.58, with both records yet to be broken.
However, Lyles, the third-fastest man over the half-lap race wants to shatter the world record and make history this year. Lyles has become very vocal about going after the record and Bolt believes that the American is capable of breaking the record if he works on some things.
In an interview, the multiple Olympic champion admitted that there is a lot of competition in the 200m with the rise of other sprinters like wunderkind Letsile Tebogo and Erriyon Knighton, who are also forces to reckon with.
However, he admitted that it takes a lot of work to break a world record and if Lyles has to do it, he needs to put in more effort.
“I think the guys are really doing well and it’s intense…it’s not going to be easy because I think Noah feels like it was easy running two events but it wasn’t.
“I’ve said it before and I’m going to repeat that it’s never easy running back-to-back events and then going to break a world record because the body runs out of energy.
“I think the possibility is there because he came close to the world record at the World Championships.
“I feel like if he corrects a few things that I won’t say, he could get better because the possibility is there. I won’t tell you how to break the world record,” he said in an interview.
Lyles’s Personal Best time at the moment stands at 19.31 and he explained how he has been thinking about the 19.19 set by Bolt.
In a recent interview with CNN, Lyles said: “He was the fastest man ever to do it and soon, it’ll be me. When it was time to show up, he showed up, he got it done. I’m kind of more the guy who likes to assert his dominance throughout the whole year.”
posted Friday March 22nd
by Abigael Wuafula
Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles